earlier in the day, in the few minutes of spare time before school
**
Luau and I sit in the office not long after dinner. I am behind the desk tapping at the keyboard; he sits in the worn leather chair by the bookshelf. Winston is on his lap.
The girls have gone upstairs. Together.
Luau and I discuss the business of the house. We compare schedules to plan an appointment. I make a call to confirm it and put it on the calendar.
Little-girl voices waft down the stairs.
First a laugh, then a happy squeal.
Luau stops talking.
“You hear that?”
A smile has been steadily rising from somewhere deep in my being.
“Yup.”
My girls are playing together.
Alone – no one’s idea but their own.
For the second time in one day.
This moment is not small.
Not small at all.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah!!!!! I love it when that happens!!!
DOAM, I can remember like yesterday when I sat in my computer room and heard laughter from 2 boys playing together too. It is the best sound in the whole wild world. Ah, the things we mom’s get to appreciate that others simply can’t. When that happens, I say, “I am living the dream.”
Happiest news to start my day. Can’t wait to see them this weekend.
Love,
Mom
Can you see me beaming at all of you from all the way in Israel? Cause I’m sure my smile is wide enough to reach you.
and you know, you will never, EVER get over it. you’ll never stop marveling, and thanking the lordy lord and listening just a little more closely than the average parent.
huge. HUGE.
*grin* Yeah, I think DM is right. I still get all gooey whenever I hear Nik playing happily all by himself!
Ginormous!!! =)
HUGE! HHHHHHUUUUUUGGGGGEEEE!
I hear it, and it’s music to my heart. I glance at my husband with my all-too-often glassy eyes, and he hears it too. I feel like when the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes and burst!
Happy Giggle Day to you!!
Dang it, I should know better by now than to put my makeup on before reading your blog!
This is wonderful, Jess. How huge.
Perfect! And we’re giggling right along with you!
I know how good, how “normal” this feels – my kids did this much of yesterday too and there’s nothing that warms you up like hearing happy, calm voices playing together. LOVE IT!
Could there be a more joyous sound? Probably not!
LOVE this. Love it.
Thank you for this- It’s so important to focus on these moments… had this been my household, my two would have played together for about an hour- I would have been HAPPY MAMA- and then irritations and sensitivities would have crept in until a full-blown, shrill fight would have erupted, along with the inevitable “MOOOOOM!” I try to focus on the “good”, but I’m too often on tenterhooks waiting for the shoe to fall, and planning what to do… Maybe it’s just me and I need to focus on the good without wincing for the bad.
I love these moments too, try to retain them to counteract the other moments. Unprompted play, that is wonderful!
: )
I’ve so been there! The first time my boys started playing together – sheer joy.
YAY!! I have a very similiar picture that I have framed in my living room of my three girls the first time they all sat on the floor and played together. Granted they made a huge mess with Play Doh but it was so worth it!
I am sitting here smiling and picturing you and your husband basking in the glow of their laughter.
Yay! Beautiful picture.
How lovely..I remember some of our first moments like that..and I try to keep them in mind as they go from playing to..sigh…fighting.
But they are all doing it together..which is equally joyful in it’s own way.
Wonderful, lovely, fantastic!!!! What a joyful thing! So very happy for you.
Love it!! Every night in the tub Lila gets in Dev’s face until he looks at her, she then does her big fake laugh which always makes him giggle his head off then she starts really giggling and they egg each other on.
precious moments!!
and that picture is definitely print worthy!
awwwww